Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Notes:
With Cabernet of this quality, the winemaking team believes in taking a minimalist approach to winemaking. Vinifying the fruit from each vineyard separately, Ed and Laurie used tailored pump-over techniques for optimal extraction, and then aged the wines in hand-selected, custom-toasted barrels of new French Nevers oak. They then aged the lots separately for just under two years before selecting the blend – one of exceptional depth, complexity and elegance. The final blend has aromas of Bing cherries, cocoa, cedar, allspice and mint. Generous cherry, blackberry and plum flavors are complemented by velvety tannins, resulting in a superbly long and elegant finish.

Reviews:
"Good bright medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, minerals and sweet spices. Lush and creamy, with explosive, fully ripe dark fruit and mineral flavors and terrific back-end lift. Finishes with big, broad, fine-grained tannins and impressive length. The goal here is not to make an early-drinking wine but one with sweet tannins and thoroughly ripe fruit, notes winemaker Laurie Hook, but I find this sexy from the start. "
94 Points
International Wine Cellar

"Offers richness, concentration and depth while remaining elegant and supple, focusing on the ripe, spicy currant, mineral, herb and sage notes. Ends with a measure of finesse and polish, with the right mix of tannins. Drink now through 2016."
93 Points
Wine Spectator

"A great vintage of Private Reserve, this reflects the sensibilities of two winemakers: Ed Sbragia, who has shepherded the blend for three decades, and Laurie Hook, who joined Sbragia in 1986. Hook's influence on the Beringer tyle has been subtle but significant over the past several years. The tightness of this wine and the more overt minerality in its tannin provide a defined arc of flavor, with firmer edges than often appeared in the smooth, sleek Private Reserve blends of the past. A large portion of the wine comes from Howell Mountain (Bancroft Ranch, Steinhauer and Rancho del Oso make up 60 percent), with another 25 percent from Beringer's St. Helena Home Ranch. The detail in the tannin shapes the complexity of the wine, the dark fruit and licorice flavors smoothed by oak. It's a formidable Cabernet, deserving of ten years in teh cellar to reach peak drinking."
93 Points
Wine & Spirits

"There is no doubt that the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is the top wine in the portfolio. Delicious notes of smoky oak, creme de cassis, espresso roast, blackberries, and graphite are followed by a full-bodied, powerful, rich wine with undeniable elegance and finesse as well as sweet tannins. It can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years. This cuvee usually includes about 5% Cabernet Franc in the blend." 92 Points
The Wine Advocate